Biography -- Hillary R. Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham was born on October 26, 1947, the first child of Dorothy and Hugh Rodham. Hillary and her brothers, Hugh and Tony, grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

After graduating from Wellesley College in 1969, Hillary entered Yale Law School where she met Bill Clinton. In 1974, at the height of the Watergate scandal, Hillary worked on the staff assisting the House Judiciary Committee with its investigation of the Nixon administration. She later joined Bill Clinton in Arkansas, where he was about to embark on a remarkable political career.

Bill and Hillary were married in 1975. Hillary served on the faculty of the University of Arkansas Law School before joining the Rose Law firm in 1976. Bill and Hillary became parents with the birth of their daughter, Chelsea, in 1980. In the meantime, her husband was elected Attorney General and then governor of Arkansas. During her 12 years as First Lady of Arkansas, Hillary Clinton remained a strong advocate for the welfare of children and higher educational standards.

When Hillary became the nationís First Lady, she continued to play an active role. In 1993, she chaired the Task Force on Health Care Reform. Although her involvement in shaping public policies drew criticism, she remained a determined advocate for the rights and welfare of children and women throughout the world.

In 2000, Hillary Clinton was elected Senator from the state of New York. She was the first First Lady to be elected to the United States Senate.